Osmania General Hospital issues memo to Assistant Professor for allegedly sharing photos of rescued snake

Hyderabad: A day after a rat snake has been found and rescued in the Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad, the superintendent of the hospital issued a memo to the assistant professor of the general medicine department, Dr Pratibha Laxmi for allegedly sharing pictures and videos of the rat snake through social media.  

The Times of India reports that the memo was issued the same day the snake was also found. It stated that the doctor went against the service rules and made an issue out of the entire episode while not following the proper channels of voicing concerns.

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The professor is the representative of the newly formed Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA). The position of representing the hospital at TTGDA is held by her. 

However, the warning memo has disappointed and has angered many teaching doctors. A member of the TTGDA told TOI, "Raising voices about snake and rat menace in Osmania General Hospital is not for any doctors' personal gains. The issue was raised only because it is a safety hazard for all patients on campus. If they were unhappy with the way the information was made available to the media and public then they should have counselled the doctor instead of issuing a memo." The TTGDA members have condemned the move and demanded the hospital authorities withdraw the memo. 

The TTGDA members had decided to meet the superintendent of the hospital on Monday to demand the cancellation of the memo and hold a protest. 

The TTGDA had issued a statement regarding the same, which stated, "Issuing memo to a doctor for highlighting official apathy was strongly condemned by the TTGDA State executive." They asked the hospital superintendent to withdraw the memo immediately and unconditionally as it was unfair, reports The New Indian Express.

On Saturday morning, a rat snake was found and rescued in the general surgery ward of Osmania General Hospital. It was first seen by a junior clerk working in the General Surgery Department of the hospital while he was going to his vehicle parked on the premises of the department at around 11 am. The snake catcher had reached the spot in half an hour and rescued the reptile which had hidden in a pit, reports The New Indian Express.  

The assistant professor had shared a few videos of the rescue operation, further commenting on the condition of the hospital. The memo was issued to the doctors for these actions. 

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